Liverpool agree £16m Henderson deal as Dalglish lines up more in revolution

Jordan Henderson has agreed to join Liverpool from Sunderland for £16million.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who is flying out with England’s Under 21 squad for the European Championship in Denmark, will sign a five-year deal on his return.

Top target: Jordan Henderson could be the first of four imminent arrivals

A Sunderland statement on Wednesday
morning read: 'A fee has been agreed with Liverpool for Jordan Henderson
and he travels to Anfield today with the club's blessing.'

A Liverpool statement added: 'Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Sunderland midfielder Jordan Henderson. The 20-year-old will today discuss personal terms and undergo a medical on Merseyside after a fee was agreed between the two clubs.'

Henderson
is Kenny Dalglish’s first major signing of the summer and the manager will also try again to sign Blackpool captain Charlie Adam and Ipswich’s 18-year-old striker Connor Wickham.

Adam, 25, wanted to move to Anfield in January, only for the deal to collapse. But Liverpool remain keen on a midfielder who fits in with the policy of owners Fenway Sports Group, who want young British talent.

Sunderland had insisted throughout
reports of the Merseysiders' interest in their highest-profile academy
graduate that he was simply not for sale.

However, the reality which has long been acknowledged by manager Steve
Bruce is that every player has his price and for Henderson, that had
been set at around the £20million mark.

New surroundings: Henderson in action for Sunderland against Liverpool, his new club, last season

Bruce had no desire to sell a player who emerged from the ranks last
season to hold down a regular place in his hometown club's first-choice
XI.

However, as was the case when Aston Villa came calling in January with a
deal potentially rising to £24million for Darren Bent, Sunderland were
made an offer which represents a significant return on their investment.

If the figures add up favourably, what is not in dispute is that
Henderson's departure will leave another major hole in Bruce's squad.

His form suffered in the immediate aftermath of his senior England debut
against France in November last year, but the 20-year-old has been a
key man for the Black Cats in the last two seasons and will take some
replacing.

The manager is already engaged in an extensive recruitment drive with
Bent yet to be replaced, while the returns of loan signings Danny
Welbeck, Nedum Onuoha, John Mensah and Sulley Muntari to their clubs has
left him with a series of sizeable gaps to plug.

In demand: Henderson (left) in action for England's U21 clash with Norway last weekend

Bruce is targeting as many as three strikers and in the circumstances,
the inclusion of 22-year-old Ngog in the deal will prove an attractive
benefit, although he has been a largely peripheral figure during his
three seasons to date at Anfield.

Allowing Henderson to leave will add another item to the shopping list
but significantly boost his transfer kitty, with owner Ellis Short
remaining supportive but having reined in some of the rather less
controlled spending of recent years.

However, it may not go down too well with fans who still blame Bent's
shock departure for the club's slump during the second half of last
season.

Liverpool have also been linked with Black Cats skipper Lee Cattermole
in recent days, although it is unlikely that Bruce would be prepared to
part with two members of his first-choice midfield.